


Family Happiness

by PattRose



Series: Family Series [10]
Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Sentinel Bingo Card
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 18:25:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13980825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PattRose/pseuds/PattRose
Summary: This starts out a little angsty, but turns into a happy fic within no time at all.  What’s new with the family?Sentinel BingoPrompt: Happy Ending





	Family Happiness

Family Happiness  
By PattRose  
Summary: This starts out a little angsty, but turns into a happy fic within no time at all. What’s new with the family?   
Genre: Slash  
Rating: Teen  
Word Count: 2227  
Warning: Sequel to New Family, Family and Friends, Family Debt, Family Smarts, Family Vacation, Family Bets, Family Fright, Family Changes and Family Drama.   
Prompt: Happy Ending  
Beta: Bluewolf. Thank you for everything you do. Thanks again for the story idea.

 

Jim was tired of sharing Blair all the time. Sure, he didn’t mind now and then, but they hadn’t had sex in two weeks. Blair was so busy helping Maggie and Cooper with their term ending projects. That left all Jim’s time and attention to go to Beth. Normally, he loved Beth to pieces, but as he had mentioned to himself before, it had been two weeks since he and Blair made love. It was Jim’s day off and he was stuck putting a puzzle together with Beth. 

“Jim, do you like me?”

Jim came back to the here and now and answered, “I adore you, why?”

“Oh really? That’s good, I guess. Thank you for liking me.”

“Would you like to go and see Grandpa Ellison right now instead of doing the puzzle?” 

“I would love that. I don’t really like puzzles, but Maggie buys them for me. So I put them together anyway.”

“Let me tell Blair and the others where we’re going,” Jim said as he headed for the dining room. 

“Blair, Beth and I are going over to my dad’s house.”

“Why?” Blair asked. “Instead, why don’t you take her to see the dinosaur exhibit at the university? She would get a charge out of that. I take it you’re bored?”

“Maybe we’ll go pick Grandpa up and he can go with us. Yes, we’re bored,” Jim replied. 

“Call and be sure he’s not busy, Jim. It’s rude just to show up.”

“Okay, we’ll be back in a while,” Jim said sadly. 

Blair got up and pulled Jim down for a goodbye kiss and whispered, sentinel soft, “I’ll take care of you later.”

Jim had a huge grin on his face as he called his dad. Blair was a smart man. He knew something was wrong and he was going to fix it. Jim sure hoped everything went as planned. He needed Blair in a big way. 

William answered his phone, “Hi, Jimmy, what’s up with you?”

“Beth and I are going to a museum at the university with dinosaur bones and drawings and things like that. Would you like to go with the two of us?”

“I would love to go, Jimmy. I’m wild about Beth. She likes me too, so it’ll be nice to spend some time with the two of you. Are the older kids doing homework with Blair?”

“You got it. They’ve been really busy for two days. Their projects are going to be awesome when they’re done. We’ll pick you up in about ten minutes. Is that okay?”

“See you then, Jimmy. Thanks for thinking of me.”

Jim said, “Grandpa is dying to see you so he’s going with us.”

“Yay! I love Grandpa. He’s so nice. And he always lets me have whatever I want. I like that.”

“Of course you do,” Jim joked. 

They got in and buckled up and drove over to Grandpa’s condo. Jim still felt odd now and then living in the big house while his dad lived in a small condo. But his dad had made tons of friends at the retirement center and was very happy. Jim was going to have to learn to accept his father’s kindness and move on. 

“Jim, when are we going to be there?”

“In about five more minutes, Beth. Grandpa will probably be outside waiting if I know him.”

As they drove up, Beth said, “There he is. You were right.”

Jim parked near the curb and William started to get in and smiled at Beth in the back seat. 

“You could sit back here with me if you want, Grandpa.”

Jim burst out laughing when William got in the back with Beth. She had him so wrapped around her little finger. 

“How are you doing, Grandpa?”

“I’m doing great now. I was a little bored today. Sometimes they play cards all day and it’s too long for me. But today they were putting puzzles together and I’m not a big puzzle person.”

“Neither am I, Grandpa. I just got done telling Jim that before he told me we could pick you up.”

“See, we have a lot in common, Beth.”

“How are you doing, Dad? Feeling okay and all that?”

“I’m fine, Jim. You just saw me two days ago for dinner. I haven’t changed that much since then.”

Beth started to laugh. “You’re so funny, Grandpa. I can’t wait to see the exhibit at the university.”

“Those are big words for such a little one to be saying. You impress me all the time,” William said. 

“Blair and Jim don’t baby talk, ever.”

“That’s good, I would guess. I’m excited to see the exhibit, also. Then maybe we’ll pick up sandwiches to take home to the hard working students and teacher.”

“Oh, that would be nice, Grandpa. Can we do that, Jim?”

“Yes, we sure can.” Jim pulled into a parking place and got out and opened the door for his dad and Beth to get out. 

“Thank you, Jimmy.”

“Can I call you Jimmy too?”

“No… It’s something only my dad gets to do.”

“Oh, okay. Come on you slowpokes. Let’s get in there and see this thing. Did you bring your camera, Jim?”

“I did, Missy. Don’t you worry about it.”

Jim paid for the three of them to get in. “Jimmy, I could have paid.”

“I like to treat now and then, Dad. Let’s leave it at that.”

Jim noticed that Beth stayed right with them. He never had to tell her she was getting too far away. They began looking at the fossils and everything else that was on display. 

“Grandpa, wouldn’t it be cool to have dinosaurs now?”

“No… They’re too big and they would crush us or eat us. We don’t belong on earth at the same time.”

“Is that true, Jim?”

“Yes, Beth, it’s true. We can’t have both. It would be too dangerous for us.”

“Oh look at how pretty these paintings are. Could you paint something like that, Grandpa?”

“No, I don’t paint. But I sure love looking at other people’s painting. Do you paint, Beth?”

“I draw all the time. When my dad used to beat Maggie up, she hid me in the closet and told me to color. So, I learned to draw since I was five.”

Jim was horrified that he was learning this today. So was William. 

William finally said, “Is it nice living with Jim and Blair?”

“Yes, I love living with them. They never fight, they love each other and they love us. They never yell and they always hug us, a lot.”

Jim pulled her into his arms and said, “I love you, Beth.”

William hugged both of them and said, “I love you, Jimmy and Beth.”

“I love both of you too. Why do you look upset? This is a happy day. Let’s finish looking at the paintings and go to the next thing to see.”

By the time they were done, it was two hours later. Jim had a new appreciation for Maggie, doing this full time. Beth was a chatterbox and she exhausted Jim. 

They went out to the car and Jim said, “This time Grandpa is going to sit in front with me. It’s my turn.” Jim pinched her little cheek softly as he said it. 

“I guess I can share. He is your dad after all. I wish I had a proper dad.”

William said, “Jim and Blair are your dads, Beth. From now on you’ll never be without them.”

“And you too, Grandpa.”

“And me too. You’re such a sweet child. I love hanging out with you. How would you like to come for the weekend this Saturday? We could rent some movies, eat pizza and pop popcorn.”

“Oh, Jim, could I?”

“We’d better ask Maggie if she has any plans.”

“She got asked on a date for Saturday night. But she said she turned him down.”

“Why?” Jim asked. 

“Maybe because she has me?” Beth wondered. 

“I’ll talk to her when we get home. She should go out. In fact, so should Cooper. They are far too serious these days. They could use some fun in their lives.”

“Maybe they could go out together.”

“They’re sister and brother, so that wouldn’t work, Beth. It’s fine for knocking around, but not dating.”

“I love Cooper. He’s so nice to me. He always smiles and makes me feel better.”

William asked, “Why would you need to feel better?”

“I don’t have any mom or dad. It’s sad. I miss my mom. But now we have Jim and Blair. I love them too.”

They pulled up in the Subway drive-up. Jim ordered a ton of sandwiches, something that everyone would like. And then got chips and drinks to go. His dad held the drink holder in his lap and Jim tried to drive carefully, so nothing spilled on William. 

When they parked in the garage at the house, Jim came around and helped his dad get out and carried the drink tray. It had six drinks in it, so it was heavy. William carried the sandwiches and Beth carried the bag with the chips. They walked in and Blair was all smiles. 

“Wow, we were just thinking about going to get something to eat. I’m glad we didn’t miss you.”

Jim sat the drink holder on the now-empty dining room table. Jim then went in and got paper plates and brought them out for everyone. They all sat down and picked out what they wanted and began to eat. 

Beth said, “Maggie, I told Jim you got asked out on a date for Saturday. He said you should go.”

She blushed and said, “Beth, that’s something you shouldn’t have told him.”

Jim asked, “Why? Are you afraid to leave her with us alone?”

“Of course not, Jim. But you all do so much already. I’m not going to make you babysit.”

“Hey, I’m not a baby,” Beth said. 

“We enjoy being around her. But Grandpa asked her over for the weekend and I said she had to ask you.”

“Saturday night?” Maggie asked, cheerfully.

“Yes, Saturday night,” William answered. “Now you can go out and have a good time.”

“I might. It’s been a long time since I went out. I promise I won’t stay out late,” she said to Blair and Jim. 

“You’re 20 years old, you should have a life. So should Cooper. You all spend way too much time at home and with us. Now, Cooper, is there someone you would like to ask out at school?” Blair asked. 

“There is someone. I might ask her for a date tomorrow. I wish I knew someone to go with us. This will be my first date.”

Jim and Blair were shocked. They forgot sometimes that he was so young. And naïve. 

Maggie said, “How would you like to go with us on our date? Mark seems like a really nice guy. We could double date and it might turn out fun.”

“I like the sounds of that, Maggie. Maybe you could call him tonight so I could ask Sabrina tomorrow.”

“It’s a deal. I’m going to call him as soon as I finish eating. Grandpa, thank you for watching Beth for me.”

“I love having her around. I love having all you kids around. We make a very nice family, don’t we?”

All three of the kids said, “Yes,” at once. 

William looked over at Jim and Blair and said, “Why don’t you two go out on the town?”

“Would you like to go to a movie and Saccony’s, Saturday night?” Blair asked. 

“I would like to do both. Thank you for asking.” Jim was so happy, he couldn’t believe it. 

“Maggie, can I call Jim Pop and Blair Dad? I already call Grandpa, ’Grandpa’. I would like to have some dads.”

“That’s up to Jim and Blair,” Maggie said. 

“I would love it,” Jim answered. 

“So would I,” Blair agreed. 

“Look, Grandpa, we now have dads. Cooper, are you going to call them that too?”

“I don’t see why I shouldn’t. I’ve been living with them for almost eight months now. It’s time. Thanks for dinner, Pop. Dad and I got a lot of work done on my project,” Cooper said. 

“Well, I’m calling you that too,” Maggie said. “It’ll have a nice sound coming out happily instead of something to dread. Thank you for everything you do, Pop and Dad. We love you all. That includes you, Grandpa.”

Jim was so happy and so was Blair. Blair smiled at everyone and said, “This is a very happy ending for our family story, don’t you agree?”

They all said, yes and talked about the exhibit they went to. Jim realized that it didn’t matter if they had sex tonight or not. They were a family. Family came first. And this made Jim very happy. 

The end


End file.
